


Concession

by mneiai



Category: World of Warcraft
Genre: Angst, Gen, Happy Ending Depending On Your POV, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Lich King Bolvar, Post-World of Warcraft: Legion
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-15
Updated: 2018-04-15
Packaged: 2019-04-23 09:46:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,473
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14329782
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mneiai/pseuds/mneiai
Summary: Anduin will do anything to protect the people of Azeroth.





	Concession

**Author's Note:**

> Um, yeah, so with Bolvar back on the scene I desperately need something with him and Anduin, but have my doubts whether we'll ever get anything. So instead I'm just writing indulgent fanfic involving them.
> 
> Per usual, this is unbeta'd and partially written on a phone.
> 
> If you want to chat about this fic, other fic, lore in general, request drabbles, whatever, find me at [manyangledone](http://manyangledone.tumblr.com) on tumblr.

When the Scourge surged from Northrend to assault the rest of Azeroth, everyone was caught by surprise. While the Knights of the Ebon Blade had made some questionable moves in recent times, Anduin had refused to believe they'd fallen under the sway of the Lich King again. But as he supported his troops with healing and shields from afar on the battlefield and desperately tried to work out strategies for their fight for survival, he realized they'd all been duped. 

He called anyone from the alliance who might know of the last battle against Arthas together and demanded answers. Who was this? Who sat on the Frozen throne?

He didn't want to believe them when they said it was Bolvar. Then he allowed that maybe it was Bolvar's BODY and something else in control.

Then came the day his father returned to the battlefield. He did not look bad, for all he'd lost his body and been dead for over a year. And he fought as good as before--in fact, the Worgen began to have problems being near him, saying that Goldrinn’s spirit must have somehow been resurrected with him.

The fighting grew worse each day. Kalimdor was not spared, either, the Scourge crawling down the continent and attacking the Horde with equal, perhaps even greater, fervor. But more than the fighting was the feeling many were starting to express, that the Scourge seemed to be SEARCHING for something. Or, maybe, SOMEONE.

And they seemed to be getting smarter about it, Scourge rogues sneaking through battlelines, into camps and fortresses. Some were caught, but even if every single one of them was kept from returning to their army, it was a moot point--the Lich King would know what they knew. 

Weeks went by before Anduin was party to one of the captures, he was kept further and further away as the battles intensified and as much as he wanted to help, he knew there were too many factors at play to risk his own life. But now a rogue had slipped through into Stormwind, past armies and so many of the Alliance’s forces.

It struggled in the bindings it had been placed in, spewing vile words at those around it, but as soon as Anduin entered the room, it just...stopped. It stared at him with eyes that glowed steadily more intense, and when it finally opened its mouth again, the voice was nothing like what it had been.

“Anduin,” it rasped, the sound thrumming through the room as the temperature seemed to drop.

He took a deep breath, staring into those eyes. “...Bolvar.”

“Why did you run so far? Why do you hide from us? We miss you. Varian and I have been looking for you all this time.”

“We’re enemies,” he pointed out, keeping his tone steady, “you’ve made us enemies.”

Its eyes grew brighter and its face twisted, whatever emotion Bolvar was feeling not translating well through the connection.

“Come with us and we'll leave the Eastern Kingdoms. We only came so far searching for you.” 

Anduin almost pointed out that they had attacked Quel'thalas first, a place they would have known he wouldn't be, but he didn't. They had come straight down the continents, perhaps hoping that they'd find Anduin further north, perhaps not far gone enough to attack Stormwind. 

“And Kalimdor? Kul’Tiras?”

“The Horde chased your allies from Kalimdor, Kul'Tiras abandoned the Alliance. Neither are your concern.”

“If you were Bolvar, if my father was with you, you'd know exactly why you're wrong--I will not leave anyone, even enemies, to the terror if the Scourge.”

It struggled again, trying to move closer. “Anduin, we can debate in person. Let us see you with our own eyes.”

“Can you leave the Frozen Throne? I won't go to Icecrown, I won't set foot in Northrend until you promise to contain the Scourge once more and free the Ebon Blade.”

For a long moment he was answered with silence, making him wonder if Bolvar was talking with someone else while he was controlling this minion.

“Meet with Varian in the Plaguelands. No harm shall befall you.”

Keeping his tone casual, Anduin replied, “That's good, because if the Light wouldn't let you take Fordring, I doubt it will let you take me.”

It hissed, the room growing cold enough that Anduin's breath started misting in front of his face.

“Two days, where the battle lines are drawn. If any try to attack Varian while he meets with you, I will have everyone with you killed.”

***

Anduin hadn't doubted that Varian Wrynn, undead, was among the Scourge, but seeing him up close made it feel so much more real. He stopped near enough that they could speak without shouting, but far enough away that he'd have warning of an attack, then he waited.

“Anduin,” there was true emotion in Varian's voice, despite the reverberation. Longing, pain, a sort of hopelessness that tugged at Anduin's heart. 

What had his father experienced before being forced back into this realm? And what had he been going through, since?

“Father.”

“You look so much older, have I only missed a year?”

“A lot has happened. I've had to grow up much faster.”

Varian looked like he wanted to move closer, but he held back. “I heard. I'm so sorry I wasn't there for you. I never wanted you to become king again so soon.”

Anduin blinked, eyes feeling too moist. “I know. But somethings no one can have control over.”

“Please, Anduin, even if you can't stay for long, stay with me for a few days? Let me catch up on your life, learn what I've missed.”

“I can't. You know I can't. I can't just accept the rest of Azeroth falling to the Lich King.”

“It doesn’t have to. You were always able to talk me down from my worst, you can do the same with Bolvar.”

He shouldn’t trust this. Because while he knew in his heart that this was his father’s soul inhabiting a body that Bolvar must have formed for him, he did not know how much of these sentiments were true. Did he really feel so strongly, care so much, still? Or were his emotions dulled and his will usurped, and he was just a pawn?

“Will Bolvar free the Knights of the Ebon Blade?” Anduin asked, starting with what might have been the lesser of the conditions he had given the Lich King.

Varian nodded. “He will give them back their free will again, they may choose to leave or stay.”

Anduin blinked to keep from rolling his eyes, knowing exactly how many of the Death Knights he knew would be interested in staying faithful to any Lich King.

“And will he draw the Scourge back to Icecrown? Stop attacking the living?”

Here, Varian paused, the icy light flowing from his eyes intensifying for a moment. “This is the chance to finally free the Alliance from the threat of the Horde. To stop them from killing more of our people, destroying more of our world.”

“No. Not like this.”

“...The Scourge will stop attacking the living, if you come back with me.”

“If I become undead.”

“So that you can stay with us!”

Would his father have thought like this in life, Anduin wondered. It was hard to say. Varian had often wanted from Anduin things that Anduin didn’t want, things that weren’t good for Anduin, and had only backed down when Anduin forced the subject. And his father had always been so desperate to keep him near, to keep him safe...this could very well just be the ultimate show of that. Anduin, dead, but never gone.

He took a deep breath, looking out around them at the ruined land. The Eastern Kingdoms couldn’t take much more of this.

“I’ll need to arrange things, before I can go. It may...take a few weeks.” With Stormwind (were either of them thinking of Stormwind? Did Bolvar care about it anymore? Did Varian believe that they’d welcome him back, perhaps, to rule again?), with the Alliance, send word to the Horde and the neutral races so they knew that the Scourge should be withdrawing.

Varian moved forward now, as he had clearly wanted to throughout their conversation, and at a hesitant nod of agreement, embraced Anduin. He was cold, so cold, and his power clashed with the Light within Anduin, but the familiarity of it all, of his father’s strong, secure arms around him once more, distracted from that.

“We will begin recalling our forces and await you at Valiance Keep.”

Anduin pulled away, nodded, and turned his back on his father. All of his strength went to just walking in a straight, steady line back to his forces. He didn’t even notice the tears tracing down his cheeks.


End file.
